“Windows Strata” could be either another codename or even dare I say the final name for the “Windows Cloud” operating system Ballmer has been touting much lately as the name has recently condensed on the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference website. (See what I did there? I made a cloud pun.)
Either “strata” refers to “stratosphere” - the second layer in the Earth’s atmosphere above most clouds, or “stratus” - weather jargon for a type of cloud. Somehow I doubt it’s the latter since stratus is the type which casts a low gray blanket over an entire city, turning day into darkness and gloom. Probably not the association they were going for. On the other hand, stratosphere is above the rest. 
(via Kit Ong)
Comments for "“Windows Strata” - name of the Microsoft cloud OS?"
Michael Dragone
Windows Strata doesn’t sound like a bad product name, so they probably won’t go with it.
Judah Himango
Where’s the Windows 7 category? Pretty sure that used to be there. I don’t see it listed now.
Long Zheng
Right above
James
aint that a Windows 3.11 codename ???
Raja
@ James: I guess you mean ‘ Sparta ‘
Ian Easson
“Strata” is the plural of “stratus”, which means a layer within a system.
The name implies that the operating system is one consisting on many layers, e.g., core, live services, online services, mesh services, etc.
It fits. Sounds real.
Joe Sixpack
I hope to hell they don’t use some dumb ‘cloud’ name. It’s so cliche’. It’ll be dated before it’s even launched. Kind of like naming something Windows Web 2.0. Hopefully they can do something more creative than that. Silverlight is a cool name. Maybe something along those lines.
dovella
for me cloud OS or part of cloud OS is Windows 7
bluvg
Nice spot, Long. Your eye for this kind of thing is remarkable.
FreeBSD News Blog
Actually, Window Strata doesn’t sound bad. It’s missing the word “Live”!
What about, Windows Strata Live or Windows Life Strata?
Calvin
That’s actually the name of the theme Firefox uses on Windows. Now Microsoft has to smooth talk Mozilla into giving them the name.
Andre Da Costa
I was going for Windows Live Server. I see the strategy, but the scattered technologies that are Windows Live will need to work in more synergistic fashion. The storage part of it needs to be more centralized and accessible for the web based applications in addition to services like Windows Mail, Spaces and Live Mesh in addition to the Windows Desktop. My understanding based on a post I read at LiveSide.net is that SkyDrive will be used as repository for storing the content created from all these services.
asab
“strata” means in polish language loss, waste,
anonymuos
Watch this: channel9.msdn.com/posts/Dan/Countdown-to-PDC2008-Amitabh-Srivastava-Co rporate-Vice-President-of-Cloud-Infrastructure–Services-H/
anonymous
It seems they removed this from the site…or maybe I just have bad eyes. On my computer the order in the bottom row is Windows Home Server [2] Windows Mobile [1] Windows Server [8] WMI [1] WPF [9] XNA [1] .
Brian
And just like that, it’s gone.
jimmy
@ian easson:
’strata’ is certainly not the plural of L. ’stratus’. come on, now.
http://www.bartleby.com/61/84/S0798400.html
truthbetold
It is, however, the plural of “stratum.”
z
“Strata” in polish means “loss”. Good choice
Denis Winz
“Strata” means execution in Ukrainian and loss in Belorussian.
Anthony
“stratus is the type which casts a low gray blanket over an entire city, turning day into darkness and gloom. Probably not the association they were going for. On the other hand, stratosphere is above the rest.”
Good call Long, and I wonder if MS is thinking on the same lines as you (above the rest, not darkness and gloom - that title goes to mobileme!)
marcpodi
“The codename of Windows Cloud is Strata.”
- Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Cloud)
zerlot
I’m not sure if this is legit but someone check. a new Embedded theme for Windows XP signed so no hacking or program required appeared online again. zune theme, royal noir, and now embedded theme
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?aywudxvynnq
Avatar X
Zerlot: it is the real deal. the theme for the “recently” released Windows Embedded. that is of course based on XP.
i also remember to have seen what looked to be a japan only pink xp theme in a xp japanese box pic. to this day i still wonder if it was real and if there are any other alternate xp themes officially signed by Ms beyond Royale, Royal noir, Zune and now Embedded Blue or “Deep Blue” theme.
The one i want to have a look at is the Windows XP Lite made for the OLPC. it was based of on Windows XP Starter. that was/is rarer to come across than Vista Starter for example. i actually have only have seen one single XP Starter in all my life and it was back when XP launched. it is meant to fit in 2gb. did they added another theme for it?.
Yert
@ Avatar X: But if it is an embedded or lite version of the OS, it has to be based on Vista; the shame of not killing (i.e. stop selling except for downgrades) XP has to get to Microsoft sooner or later; especially since NT 6.0 and up has been made to be very shrinkable…
I’ll be shocked if MS makes me eat my words on this one, but it has to be based on code newer then XP. The shame of it would be bad, and they can make a small OS off of Vista.
AlphaFox
In polish language: strata -> n fem C loss; waste: ~ czasu waste of time; ~y w ludziach casualties; ponosić ~ę to incur/suffer a loss; wynagradzać komuś ~y to make up for sb’s loss; spisywać kogoś/coś na ~y to write sb/sth off.
Avatar X
@Yert: XP Lite for OLPC has already been shipped to machines that arrived to Peru, Filipinas, etc. but i have not yet seen any of those builds online.
So, yes. IT IS based on XP but they of course added sp3 to it.
kpax
po polsku strata (czasu) oznacza — że szkoda czasu na instalowanie tego systemu, nie wiem jak to się przekłada na rzeczywistość
YM2149
why not just call it Windows Turd and end with it
Bebeshka
Всем привет! Я здесь новенький. Примите в компанию?
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